Monsters
by yunchannn
Summary: To help his father solve the case of a missing girl Suzui Ryota agrees to enter Hyakkaou Private Academy but soon finds out that not everything is what it seems and something much more sinister is lurking behind the marvelous facades of this elite school and the people within it. [also posted on ao3]
1. Prologue

Kirari crossed her arms, tapping her finger against the crook of her elbow. To her right, Sayaka noticed the gesture right away.  
Kaichou was getting impatient. And things weren't good when she got impatient.

Sayaka turned her gaze back to the girl in front of them.

"P-please…" the girl begged for the umpteenth time. "I…I don't want to do this."

She had a curvaceous figure which Sayaka would've envied on some days but right now she was just glad she wasn't that girl.

"Oh for fuck's sake." Midari blurted out. She didn't know how badly Kirari wanted to say it herself. But you can never tell with the way her face stayed calm and almost disinterested.

Runa pulled out her Gameboy which earned her a look from the others though she failed to notice this. Or maybe she just didn't give a fuck.

"Stop wasting our time bitch." Runa said, her eyes not leaving the screen. "We've got stuff to do."

The girl couldn't believe it. Here she was, about to face certain death but the student council…not a single one of them cared. Not a single one of them batted an eye. Not a single one of them even showed the slightest hint of concern.

Not a single one of them cared.

Midari stepped forward. "Yeah she's right we've got stuff to do so get in already or I'll kick you in myself!"

She wasn't important to them, that much was clear. She hardly mattered. And to think that all this time, she fought to be heard. She fought to be by Mary's side.

"Mary-chan…" she closed her eyes, thinking of her courageous golden eyed friend who was like sunshine. Mary wouldn't have ended up like this. But in the end she wasn't Mary. That's exactly how she ended up like this.

The ponding of her heart was momentarily silenced by a loud, monstrous howl.

Kirari sighed. "Go on then Hanatemari-san." Slowly she began walking towards the girl who was now shaking so badly she was about to crumble on her knees. Kirari stretched out her hand.

"It needs to feed."

The girl's eyes grew wide as Kirari's perfectly manicured hands pushed her into the darkness. She screamed, a high ear piercing shriek. She saw Kirari's eyes glowing amidst the darkness, as blue as the lipstick she always wears. As blue as those fingernails on the hands that pushed her in.

Those were the last things she saw before she felt those tendrils, so black she almost couldn't make them out in the darkness, swallow her face up until she couldn't scream anymore.

* * *

Kirari shivered despite of the blazer she had on. But of course she didn't want the others to notice this. She will never admit that even until now, this place still gave her the creeps.

But it wasn't just the vast, empty darkness before them. It was what lies inside it and those creepy voices…somehow she only heard them when she was here.

"Let's go." Kirari announced as soon as the girl's annoying screaming died down. She turned around and the others did too. They all walked out together in perfect unison.

Midari yawned. "Now that's over and done with does anyone wanna go out for dinner huh?"

Kaede scoffed. "What, you treating?"

"Hell nah!" Midari retorted. "But I will if let's say I lose to a gambling match. What do you guys say huh? Come on let's do it! Loser will buy dinner how bout that?"

"Go have dinner by yourself." Runa said as she walked with her fingers busy on her console. "We're busy."

"And I have a show tomorrow so I have to be up early." Yumemi added

Midari groaned, her voice echoing in the empty hallways.

"Aww you guys are no fun."

* * *

 **AN:** idk if I will put some romantic subplots/ships into this one I'm still undecided but anyway it won't be the main focus of the story so I'll tag this as Gen. I'm still figuring out where this is going so I'm open to ideas/suggestions ^^


	2. The boy called Suzui Ryota

"Investigation is still ongoing for the case of Hanatemari Tsuzura-san a sixteen year old girl who suddenly went missing…"

Ryota wrapped his hands around the ceramic coffee mug before him, his eyes never leaving the TV screen.

"Hanatemari-san a student of Hyakkaou Private Academy…"

Ryota brought the cup to his lips, gently blowing on it before taking a sip of the black coffee his father had prepared for him. To his right his father emerged from the kitchen, the circles under his eyes seemingly darker than before.

He took his seat at the head of the table. As Ryota brought the mug down he stole a glance at his father before putting his focus back on the TV.

"Hanatemari-san was last seen leaving by her schoolmates on the afternoon of October 6th…" while the clipped formal voice of the female reporter continued a picture of the missing girl flashed on screen. The girl had long wavy dark hair, a gentle smile and kind looking eyes. She was pretty no doubt and she also appeared to be the kind who trusted too easily, Ryota can tell.

And such a combination wouldn't last long in this world, he thought bitterly. He kind of regretted it though. The poor girl. He shouldn't be thinking like this.

"Ryota…" he heard his father say. This caused him to look up and turn back in his father's direction.

"You know what's weird about that case?" his father said, jerking his head at the direction of the TV while nursing his own cup of coffee.

"There are no traces at all of her disappearance. It's like she vanished into thin air."

Ryota took note of his father's slightly dishevelled disappearance- his uncombed hair, his upturned collar and crooked tie. What was it about this case that was tiring his father so much? People disappeared all the time. This Hanatemari girl wasn't even the only missing person reported on TV recently but she's gotten the most media attention solely because she was rich and pretty and came from one of the most elite, controversial schools in Japan.

Ryota thought about the missing person posts he would occasionally see when he scrolled through his social media feed. Those people begging for help with only social media to rely on…don't they deserve to get attention too?

"Why are you so obsessed with this case anyway? I think you'd do better assigned to something else." He knew he sounded selfish but he just found it unfair. How come people like her get to have so much media attention when there are more people out there who could use it? This girl for all he knew might've just ran away from home and didn't want to be found, Ryota knew those types.

His father ignored his question, sighing while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We've done interviews with the girl's parents and friends and they were all clueless. Nobody knows what could've happened to her and they all described her as nice and wouldn't hurt a fly."

Ryota thought back to the picture that was shown earlier. Looks like his first impression wasn't so incorrect after all.

"And her parents seem to be nice people and holds a clean reputation so it couldn't have been a business rival but still we're looking into that."

Ryota tuned out the rest of what his father said as he turned back to the TV where now a girl in a Hyakkaou Academy uniform was being interviewed. The first thing Ryota noticed was her blonde hair, causing him to assume right away that she must be some foreigner so he was surprised when the girl spoke up in perfect Japanese.

"I don't know where she is now or what could've happened to her. I can only pray that she's safe and sound."

Ryota can see that the girl was struggling to hold back her tears.

Some voice from outside the camera spoke up. "Does Hanatemari-san have enemies at school? People she disliked or disliked her in some way?"

"No!" the girl shook her head fiercely. "Tsuzura…I, I mean Hanatemari is nice to everyone. I couldn't possibly think of anyone who might want to harm her. And I've known her since we were kids. She…she's really nice. A kindhearted person."

Ryota watched as the girl sniffed and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

"Very well Saotome-san is there anything you'd like to say at all? A message to Hanatemari-san if you will."

At first Ryota thought it was ridiculous. How could a missing girl possibly hear this? If she was kidnapped she was possibly being held somewhere dark and isolated. But then he looked back at the blonde girl's lonely expression and his heart went out to her. She said they've been friends since childhood. It must really hurt her, Ryota can only imagine.

The girl gazed steadily at the camera, a bit more composed now as if she was confident that her friend would hear.

"Hanatemari if you're out there I hope you're safe and sorry for all my shortcomings as a friend. I promise I'll make it up to you so please…come back."

* * *

Ryota didn't like how his heart feels so heavy that morning as if that whole news about the missing girl personally affected him and he knew it was ridiculous because hello? He doesn't even know them and they live in completely worlds. Hell, he probably wouldn't even cross paths with people like that.

Maybe he just feel so sorry for what that blonde girl must be going through right now. His father had always commented on his strong sense of empathy but truth was Ryota wished he didn't have this strong emotional quotient. It was making him so concerned over things he'll never get to do anything about.

Ryota finally finished buttoning his uniform. He went to the local public high school and unlike that Hyakkaou Academy uniform he's seen on TV theirs was just a simple black one and a navy blue sailor uniform for the girls. Ryota briefly wondered what it would be like if he wore something as classy as Hyakkaou's maroon blazer and black necktie.

Then he shook his head, chuckling to himself. What a ridiculous idea. He should store it in his mind, file it under "list of my wildest fantasies" along with the likes of "dating a hot movie star" and "sailing on the rivers of France on a yacht". Hey a teenage boy can dream.

But little did he know that one of those items in his list will come true.

* * *

That morning his father agreed to drive him to school as he will be heading to his office afterwards and while Ryota enjoyed walking to school with his classmates he considered this a rare treat.

His dad's car was an old powder blue Toyota Corolla something he bought in the early 2000s when Ryota was just a kid. It may be old but it still ran fairly well and they both held it with a sentimental value.

As he hopped in the passenger seat that morning Ryota recalled a memory from his childhood back when his mom was sitting in the very seat he was on now while he was at the back, begging for them to drive through one of those fast food restaurants because he wanted some fries and how his parents would laugh at that.

He was jolted back to the present when his father hopped in beside him and started the car and soon they were smoothly travelling down the streets of their community. Ryota was about to reach over to open the radio when his father spoke up.

"Ryota I've been meaning to tell you something important. But please bear in mind that I am not forcing you into anything you don't want."

Ryota's heart began to pound not just at the seriousness of his father's voice but at the heaviness in the air- he can sense that a bomb was about to be dropped.

"W-what is it?"

His father took a deep breath before continuing. "It's about the missing girl's case you saw on TV this morning."

What? _Ryota wanted to cry out. What does this have to do with me?_

"We really want to solve this case, help the poor grieving family and find this girl. Find out what really happened to her but we cannot do it when everyone is saying the same damn thing how she's nice like an angel. This can't be an abduction. Kidnappers would've reached out by now for a ransom but they haven't and it's not actually the first time a student from that school went missing."

Ryota gripped the seatbelt tight his palms slick with cold sweat. Somehow he was starting to form a guess where this discussion will end up but a part of him kept saying that it was impossible. He couldn't possibly be…

Yet the majority of him felt this sort of tense excitement which he fought hard to keep down.

"We thought it best to have an insider from the school that can help us but so far they refused to cooperate, the spoiled rich brats who couldn't give a damn because it's not affecting them directly. And we cannot ask help from the friend of that missing girl her feelings would get in the way of the investigation. We need someone who has no direct link to her whatsoever in order to separate facts from personal opinions and biases. None of the teachers or staff wanted to help either. Something isn't right about that school Ryota and we wanted to get to the bottom of it."

His father took another deep breath as if this too was taking a toll on him. "And while I at first thought this was a dangerous thing to do I also thought about your future."

His father's driving slowed down as if he wanted to concentrate on his son a bit more, capture his reaction and properly convey what he wanted to say.

"My colleagues suggested that I send you to Hyakkaou, that you be our insider. I refused at first of course but then I remembered that with your grades you can easily apply for a scholarship so money won't be an issue and while I don't entirely trust that place I can't deny that it's one of the best high schools in Japan and if you go there…god Ryota your future in this world will be secure. Imagine all the universities that will be scrambling to accept you and your career opportunities. You can probably even study abroad and work there. You and I wouldn't worry anymore about expenses, where you will end up. That's the kind of future I want for you and that school will no doubt, help us get it."

If he was going to be honest Ryota didn't really had a dream. Unlike his peers who already had plans on what they want to do Ryota had no specific thing in mind. But as he listened to his father talk about Hyakkaou he began to envision that he was this sleek businessman in a suit and tie, briefcase in hand travelling to countries around the world. He will be driving this fancy black car cradling the latest phone in his hand, living in an upscale condominium in the better parts of town…and Ryota allowed himself for a moment to think that all of it can happen to him. That all of it can come true if he went to Hyakkaou.

Where a girl just went missing. And apparently she wasn't the only one.

"Now of course I'm not forcing you to make a decision yet I understand that this is a lot to take in. I will be talking to my colleagues about this. We'll be waiting for your answer."

Ryota nodded, unable to look his father in the eye. "Okay I'll think about it."

But deep down he already knew his answer.

* * *

And that was how two weeks later Ryota found himself standing in front of his bedroom mirror, a big smile on his face and his cheeks flushed with happiness and pride. On normal days he couldn't stand looking at himself for more than a minute; he's always thought of himself as average, even unattractive on most days but now as he let his fingers run over the silky black necktie he couldn't help but think how much better he looked. He almost seemed like a changed person.

 _I can't believe I'm actually wearing this._

He was in the middle of humming to himself when his door opened and his father stepped in and immediately smiled upon seeing him.

"Now don't you go acting all snotty on me now son." He said with a light chuckle. Mr. Suzui stood beside his son, placing a hand on his shoulder and Ryota can sense that he too was feeling the exquisite cloth his new uniform was made out of.

Their eyes met in the mirror and for a second there Ryota thought his dad might cry. But then he felt him squeeze his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you son…just looking at you like this makes me proud. Your mother would've been too."

Ryota didn't know how to respond to that but he did feel this swell in his throat that made him unable to speak.

"Now stop staring at yourself or you'll be late. Your new school is much farther now but since it's your first day I'll drive you."

Ryota grinned.

* * *

Leaving his old school wasn't that emotionally difficult. While Ryota was friendly with everyone he didn't really have a tight knit of friends he hanged out with and he wasn't a member of any clubs nor was he particularly close with any of the teachers.

When they did find out that he was leaving for Hyakkaou everyone suddenly became extra friendly to him, giving him hugs here and there and some even wrote him letters so he would "remember them by" but really it was just another form of sucking up because they all knew Ryota was going to a much more fabulous place now, one they can only imagine that's why they clinged on to the hope that Ryota would share a piece of that world with them.

Ryota threw away the letters without reading them.

"Is that perfume I smell on you?" his father asks while they were in the middle of the road. A feel good pop song was softly playing from the radio, totally matching Ryota's mood.

"I just thought I should make a good first impression."

His father shook his head, laughing to himself. "Next you'll be asking me to buy you a bloody silver watch."

"Well if you want me to be your insider I have to blend in with the other students."

"Ha ha nice try."

At the mention of him being an insider Ryota couldn't help but notice the way his dad's jaw clenched and how hard he suddenly gripped the wheel.

He decided to not mention it any further, believing that while he may be on cloud nine for getting into such a prestigious school the fact that it may be a dangerous place still cannot be ignored.

Neither of them spoke up the rest of the way, the songs from the radio the only source of sound inside the car. When they finally reached Hyakkaou they both inhaled sharply in unison, taking in the huge wrought iron gate with its intricate designs and the elegant red brick buildings.

Even though it wasn't his first time here Ryota still couldn't believe how unbelievably spacious this whole campus was. Ryota watched the sea of maroon blazers moving in and out of the school building and Ryota's heart skipped a beat at the thought that in a few seconds now he will be joining them. He grabbed his bag and prepared to head out.

"Bye dad I'll see you later." Ryota hoped he still looked presentable that somehow his nerves wouldn't show too much. But as he met his father's gaze he can tell his dad was more worried about something else.

Mr. Suzui reached over to squeeze his son's shoulder giving him a small tight smile.

"Be careful."

* * *

He must've expected too much. Ryota gulped and forced himself to smile as he stood in front of his new classmates. The classroom was pretty much like his classroom back at his old school though the desks and the floor tiles were a bit more different. Also his classmates looked…normal.

He expected them to be like the blonde girl he saw on TV who looked like a foreigner or just like those stereotypically wealthy characters on dramas but he found that they all looked fairly Japanese and well, just like his old classmates.

"Would you please introduce yourself to the class." The teacher was a man who had more gray in his hair than black and smiled kindly at Ryota which in turn encouraged the teen.

Ryota bowed. "Hello nice to meet you all I'm Suzui Ryota." He almost said that he's new here but luckily he managed to hold it in at the last minute.

"Please take care of me." he said as a finishing touch.

As Ryota raised his head back up he noticed that most of his classmates were regarding him curiously though of course this was obvious however he was struck with this sinking feeling that they were looking at him like animals studying its prey.

Or maybe it was just his imagination. He really should stop thinking about that missing girl.

The teacher gestured at someone from the class. "Jabami-san will you kindly please show Suzui-san around?"

Ryota followed the teacher's gaze and he almost did a double take. A girl with long silky black hair stood up and Ryota tried his best to hold in his gasp. She was undeniably pretty she can be like an actress or some other famous figure. She also moved gracefully exuding the air of a traditional Japanese woman. Maybe this was what set the Hyakkaou Academy students from Ryota's old classmates. They may all look the same but the air around them was different.

"Of course it would be my pleasure!" the girl beamed at them and Ryota almost sighed at how lucky he is, being escorted by a beautiful girl on his first day. He followed the girl out of the room and into the hallways which were quiet and devoid of any other student.

"I'm Jabami Yumeko it's a pleasure to meet you."

Ryota prayed he wouldn't suddenly be hit by clumsiness and appear awkward in front of this girl. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you as well Jabami-san."

"Oh please just call me Yumeko. I believe you and I are going to be good friends!"

This girl was perky that's for sure. Standing beside her Ryota was suddenly glad he decided to spray on perfume at the last minute.

As they walked Yumeko gave him the rundown of the building, where the classrooms and clubrooms are including the admin offices, library, cafeteria, etc. and while everything looked different from his old high school it wasn't like the ones Ryota envisioned in his head but that was okay. Maybe he just expected a little too much.

They were still walking in the middle of the hallway, far from where their classroom was and Ryota was kind of glad for it. he was also glad that Yumeko seemed to warm up to him on the first day. In his old school, girls wouldn't even talk to him unless it had something to do with schoolwork.

Yumeko was explaining some school rules as they walked and Ryota of course was paying attention though he did focus more on the sound of Yumeko's voice. It was strangely soft and sweet like a lullaby. Then his eyes darted over to the walls and that's when he noticed the rows and rows of old pictures.

The first ones he saw were in black and white and they all look like class pictures- a bunch of students in the old Hyakkaou uniform standing together with the school behind them as background. As the pictures progressed it became more and more recent, growing color. And while the style of the uniform changed two things did not: the building in the background and the serious, almost haunting expressions on the faces of the students pictured there.

A chill ran up Ryota's arm as he met their eyes. They all looked blank, hollow even. But now that he thought about it people didn't really smile for pictures back then. Yumeko took notice of this.

"Those are the previous student councils ever since Hyakkaou was founded." She still sounded perky, undisturbed by the creepy vibes the old pictures gave off. Or maybe it was just him, Ryota chided himself.

"The old uniforms look pretty cool don't you think?" Yumeko asked pointing at a picture with the numbers 1933 underneath it.

Ryota shrugged. "I think they're old fashioned." He said pointing at the long skirts of the girls but he gotta admit the boys' uniform looked cool with its linings on the blazer which was absent from today's.

"Does the current student council have a picture?" Ryota asked

"Oh no not yet. They don't want to take a picture unless things are…permanent." Their pace slowed down as they look at the pictures.

""Permanent?"

"Well you see, student council here isn't really decided by votes."

Now this conversation was getting weirder and weirder. Ryota was about to ask again when Yumeko grabbed his arm and pulled him so they could walk faster.

"I'll explain to you later. Come on!"

Ryota let Yumeko pull him away, more than glad to be away from those rows of pictures.

"And that's the student council office. I haven't been inside but I heard it's pretty big. They say it even has an aquarium!"

Yumeko points at a small wooden door with a golden plaque hanging above it that says STUENT COUNCIL. Ryota didn't want to admit that even the room was giving off strange vibes for him and he wasn't at all curious if they have a freaking aquarium inside.

They continued on their way until they stumbled upon the end of this particular hallway. A pair of double doors stood across from them and Ryota can see through the glass that it was dark on the other side. A sign is also attached to it, the words KEEP OUT in big black letters and underneath it a much smaller sign: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

"What's in there?" Ryota asked

"Oh that's an old lab." Yumeko replied, sounding pretty chill while Ryota was trying to keep his nerves in place. "They say it burned down after some experiment went awry."

"They never repaired it since?"

Yumeko only shrugged. "I don't think so. Come let's head back. Nothing to see here."

Ryota nodded, more than happy to be taken away from this creepy part of the building. However he couldn't help looking back, fixing his eyes on those eerie double doors and the darkness coming from the other side. He thought he can hear some faint humming but then he quickly brushed it off, dismissing everything as simply paranoia.

He should really stop thinking about the missing girl.

* * *

Ryota didn't have to think about where to sit for lunch. As soon as the bell rung Yumeko dragged him out of his seat exclaiming how hungry she was. As they made their way towards the cafeteria Ryota imagined the different kinds of food they have in here. Would they serve some foreign cuisine? Would they have some desserts? Ryota could hardly wait.

But as he was soon going to find out, he was in for another surprise one that would never have even crossed his mind.

As Yumeko pushed the cafeteria doors open Ryota braced himself for the rich aroma of food but what he found instead was…

"What the…"

Instead of food on the table, it was money. Money and dice and cards. He even spotted a roulette table not far from where they stood and several students crowded around it laughing to themselves.

Ryota's eyes widened as he took in the scenery. He was rooted to the spot.

Yumeko, whose hand was on his arm stopped as soon as she noticed Ryota wasn't beside her. "Ryota-kun? What's wrong?"

"Th-that." Ryota gestured at everything around them. He felt like his throat had suddenly gone dry and he even wondered if he was dreaming this all up. "W-why is everyone…i-is this even allowed?!" he felt stupid for asking, for sounding like some fish out of water.

Yumeko gave him a chilling smile. "That's what I wanted to tell you about. The best part of this school."

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes that made Ryota wonder if this was still the same girl he met specially now that she was looking up at him with that chilling smile that was growing bigger and bigger by the second.

"Th-the best part of this school?"

Yumeko threw her hands up in the air. "Gambling!" she cried out, confirming Ryota's suspicions of what was going on. "Gambling makes this place fun Ryota-kun. It's what this school revolves around like earth to the sun."

Ryota thought this whole thing was ridiculous, impossible even. But no matter how much he pinched his arm he was still there in that cafeteria and everyone around him was still laughing, playing. No not just "playing". Gambling. Right there in the freaking school.

Unbelievable. Are all rich kids like this? Ryota may not have much experience but he doubted it.

"Come on!" he felt a tugging at his hand which slowly jostled him back to his senses. Yumeko beamed up at him and Ryota couldn't help noting how alive she seemed at that moment like being around all this gambling awakened every cell in her body. There was even a spring in her step that was never there before as Ryota followed her to the counter.

"Let's hurry up or we'll run out of seats!"

* * *

The food wasn't even that great. Or maybe it was just him again and the unbelievable-ness of this whole situation.

Ryota stared down at his bowl of ramen, lazily poking his chopsticks against the boiled egg floating in his soup. All around him he can hear raucous laughter, swearing, coins being dropped…and the smell of money had never been so strong. While of course there were still students who are actually eating (this is a cafeteria after all) it pales in comparison to the number of people who had seemingly turned this place into a makeshift casino. Only thing missing were waiters carrying cocktails around and a slot machine here and there.

Yumeko on the other hand looked at the gamblers with curiosity, watching the ongoing matches around them. Ryota had always felt indifferent towards gambling; they could barely afford to feed themselves after all so where would they get the money? But still gambling to him felt like some terrible vice, an addiction that can ruin you like drugs. It was never good.

"Oh there is also one thing I should tell you." Yumeko said turning back to Ryota like she just remembered he was there. "See those students over there wearing tags around their necks?"

Ryota twisted in his seat towards the direction Yumeko was pointing. Near the roulette table a guy and a girl stood against the wall as if they were trying to be invisible. They wore ID tags that none of the other students have. Not far from there, two people sat playing cards and a girl had her legs propped up over someone who was on their hands and knees on the floor. An ID tag also hung from that person's neck.

A cold sweat broke out from Ryota's forehead. "What…"

"Those are what we call housepets. They're people who lost a gambling match and are unable to pay." Back to the roulette table the girl with the ID tag got splashed on by one of the players who was holding a glass of…whatever it was. But they didn't apologize and the girl with the ID tag made no move to clean herself. She continued staring into empty space, her hair and uniform soaked.

"You can only get out of your housepet status if you've managed to pay off your debt. But while you're still a housepet anyone can do anything to you and you cannot fight back."

Ryota turned away from the sight. "That's…that's ridiculous. Surely there are some rules."

"But those are the rules Ryota-kun." Once again Yumeko seemed pretty chill about the whole thing like a bunch of students being treated like slaves was an ordinary, everyday thing to her.

Ryota felt like throwing up.

"If you don't want to be a housepet Ryota-kun you should avoid gambling with the others. But oh gambling is so fun! Maybe we should play a little—"

"No." the word was out before Ryota can stop himself. "I'm not joining into any of these…whatever the hell is going on. This is insane and it isn't right—"

Suddenly Yumeko's face was only inches from him and she was staring at him coldly. Ryota wondered just how many faces this new friend of him has. The sounds of money and laughter all around him were all at once, a blur.

"Then Suzui-kun…" Yumeko's eyes at that moment were cold and dark, looking down at Ryota like he was a mere insect.

"Maybe you shouldn't be here."

She was back in her seat in a matter of seconds, smiling and commenting about a nearby gambling match leaving Ryota to wonder if he imagined the whole thing.

* * *

It wasn't the end of the day yet but Ryota was already exhausted. He sighed in his seat as in front of him the teacher droned on and on about the lesson.

How did he get himself into such a place? Had he known this school was really that different maybe he would've thought twice about agreeing to be his dad's insider. He looked around him as the lesson went on. Most of his classmates were hunched in their seats, busy copying notes and appeared like they really were paying attention. It was hard for Ryota to think that outside the classroom they were legit gamblers.

He looked at Yumeko who was sitting on the first row. She wasn't taking down notes but she was focused on the lesson, nodding here and there whenever the teacher would make a point. Ryota didn't know what to think of her and maybe it was too early to tell just yet. He needed a friend here that much was true and so far Yumeko was the only one willing to be that for him. Can he trust her though?

That was a question he didn't have the answer for yet and frankly he was afraid to find out.

Ryota willed his attention back to his notes. Maybe if he focused solely on his studies he can avoid all these gambling and housepet nonsense.

Just then the front door slid open and the teacher stopped midsentence as a figure stood in the doorway and eventually moved inside.

Ryota's breath was caught up in his throat as he stared at the person that just came in. he had only seen her on TV at first but he could not mistake that long blonde hair and those amber eyes.

She was a petite girl, definitely smaller than Yumeko but she walked with confidence, her head held high and her strides purposeful. She might as well take up the entire room with her presence alone.

"Saotome-san glad you can join us today."


	3. The girl called Mary Saotome

"Hanatemari if you're out there I hope you're safe and sorry for all my shortcomings—"

Mary turned the video off before the urge to throw up got even stronger. She had lost count how many times she had rolled her eyes, watching that. She threw her phone inside her bag not bothering to read the comments. It will all be just a bunch of fake sympathizers anyway acting like they give a fuck but would carry on with their day not even remembering her name or Hanatemari's.

But still she wanted to applaud herself for giving that little "performance". It wasn't easy bringing herself to cry in front of the camera, knowing it will be seen by people all over the country. It wasn't that she didn't give a fuck about Hanatemari- she just didn't want to cry in front of all these strangers. She _hated_ to be seen crying. Fuck, she even hated the act itself, made her feel weak and vulnerable but she figured that the only way to gain sympathy was for her to let a tear or two drop; people always loved a "good drama" didn't they and besides it would appear weird if she didn't do it and she didn't want a reason for people to judge her so she just went with the route that she knew would get people to be on her side.

And it turns out it not only worked on strangers on the Internet but apparently everyone else too.

"You're going to school?"

Her mother looked up from where she was busy wiping the table, looking at Mary with surprise and a hint of concern. Her dad had already left for work right after breakfast and in an extremely rare display of affection, had kissed her on the forehead before he left.

Being friends with a missing girl had some benefits after all.

"Yeah." Mary replied. "I don't want to miss on any important school work."

"You know your teachers will probably be lenient on you right? They even said you can take a break if you want."

Mary wished this could go on, that even if Hanatemari was found or whatever, her parents will continue showing this kind of attention on her. But that was a bitter thought to have, she quickly realized. This will soon be over whether Hanatemari was found or not.

"I'm fine." Mary replied and she was surprised to learn that she didn't have to fake her smile. she surprised herself even more when she stepped forward to give her mother a quick hug.

"I'll be going then."

Her mother, just as surprised as she was but looked pleased nonetheless, smiled warmly.

"Hey I'll be going to the shops later. I'll buy your favourite cake so you can have a snack when you get home."

Mary doubted her mother even knew what her favourite cake was but she still smiled back.

* * *

It was a lie. She wasn't going to school.

Wanting to take advantage of everyone expecting her to stay home and be all sad and mopey about her friend gone missing, Mary rode the train and alighted at a different station. So as not to have anyone staring at her wondering why she had a uniform on but was clearly not in school, Mary had brought a hoodie along with her and changed in one of the station's restrooms. Also she didn't want to risk anyone recognizing her as the girl on TV.

With this grey hoodie on she hoped to blend in the crowd and just be another random human being. But Mary had a purpose- as much as she wanted to sit by one of those sidewalk cafes and just enjoy the sunny day with a cup of coffee, she wanted to investigate. She wanted to take matters into her own hands. It was clear the police wasn't going to be much of help no matter how rich and influential the Hanatemaris were. There was clearly something else going on here which their school had something to do with and Mary doubted the police would look into that.

Hanatemari wasn't the only Hyakkaou student who had mysteriously disappeared and Mary didn't fancy herself as some heroic detective on a crusade for the truth- she just wanted to get to the bottom of this, period.

And so that's why on this particular sunny morning she found herself trudging up a path that she hadn't been to for quite some time but was still familiar to her.

The Hanatemaris live in one of those neighbourhoods that just screamed "fancy" all over. "Nice" would be an understatement. Walking up the hill, Mary can see the rooftops of those houses that can pass off as villas and was delighted to see a red sports car pass by her. She wasn't a stranger to these sights, having classmates who got dropped off and fetched in much fancier cars but Mary's heart still skipped at the sight of things like these. She liked to envision herself driving one someday, with the hood down and the music turned up and yes it was a cheesy daydream but it's not like anyone will know that anyway.

She never even shared things like that to Hanatemari and she preferred it that way specially after that one time…no, it was no good to think about the things she hated about Hanatemari specially now that she was in front of her sprawling mansion. Hanatemari's dad, being a politician and concerned about safety had his house built behind a huge black wrought iron gate and Mary had to speak on to the intercom before they let her in.

"Hello I'm Mary Saotome a friend of Hana—I mean, Tsuzura-san."

Now that she said it Mary suddenly thought wouldn't it be weird, her just showing up out of the blue and ask to talk to Tsuzura's parents? But luckily she was shown in without being asked. The gate slowly opened with a loud whirring sound but not all the way, just enough to let her in. Mary told herself to remain calm and not intimidated as she entered the Hanatemari's property. The Hanatemaris were nice people after all.

As Mary walked her eyes scanned the garden, taking note of the immaculately trimmed lawn and flower bushes. She also spotted the table where Hanatemari used to host her little tea parties when they were kids. Back in elementary everyone had been nice to her. Of course being rich as fuck was one of the reasons but Hanatemari was just sickeningly sweet you can't help but be nice to her. Mary was both disgusted and jealous at the same time.

Reaching the front door, Mary was about to knock and was surprised when it opened before she can do so and was greeted by a uniformed man whose hair was greying at the temples.

"Come in Mary-san. Madam is looking forward to see you."

My goodness, Mary thought to herself. The Hanatemaris had a butler now?! Since when?!

"Th-thank you." Mary said, suddenly feeling even more conscious now. Why did she pick this grey hoodie? Couldn't she have gone for a better outfit?

Mary was led to a small private room with two upholstered armchairs facing each other and a small round table in between. There were oriental vases and jars strewn around to keep the room a bit more lively and flowers by the window side. Mary seated herself on one of the chairs, suddenly feeling stiff.

"Mrs. Hanatemari will be here shortly. In the mean time would you like tea or coffee Miss Mary? Or some juice perhaps?"

"Coffee would be fine, thank you." As the butler left Mary wondered if this is the room the Hanatemaris use when they entertained their more intimate guests- there was just something about the room that gave off a more personal feeling. As Mary sat there picking on a loose thread from her hoodie and twirling it around her finger she debated on what she should say to Mrs. Hanatemari once she arrives. Will she cut straight to the chase? Or would small talk first be appropriate?

Mary wasn't in a rush but she doubted if she can handle small talk right now. But before she can fully form a decision the door swung open and in came the person Mary was both dreading and looking forward to see.

Mrs. Hanatemari moved with the grace and poise only a woman of her background can pull off and something which Mary wished her own mom had more off. Upon the sight of that familiar black waves and round doe-like eyes Mary was hit with a pang. Tsuzura looked so much like her mom it was almost painful.

"Mary-chan!" Mrs. Hanatemari cried out before launching herself on to Mary, throwing her arms around the young girl. Mary was so startled she barely caught sight of a maid entering the room bearing their tea and biscuits. At first Mary had no idea where to place her hands or what to say even until she felt Mrs. Hanatemari sobbing so reluctantly she brought her hands up on the small of Mrs. Hanatemari's back and Mary thought how odd it was to be the one comforting an adult.

After the maid left Mrs. Hanatemari seemed to have calmed down and she went to the chair across from Mary and sat down, wiping her tears away.

Even the way she does it seems to elegant, Mary couldn't help but note. It took a few more seconds for Mrs. Hanatemari to finally compose herself and when she did she smiled at Mary and reached for her tea like nothing happened.

"It's very nice to see you again Mary-chan. How are you?"

And very odd to be asking after someone else's wellbeing when your own child is missing and you just sobbed on someone else's shoulder but Mary pushed the thought away.

"I'm fine thanks." Mary replied forcing herself to smile. And so that started a series of questions, most of them generic small talk that Mary dreaded but now found herself with no choice but to deal with.

Mrs. Hanatemari asked about school- how was her grades, how were her parents doing, does she have a boyfriend already, etc. to which Mary answered "just fine" and laughed politely at the last one. When finally Mrs. Hanatemari seemed to be running out of things to say Mary decided that this was enough idle chit chat. Putting her teacup down Mary forced herself to look at Mrs. Hanatemari in the eye.

'"Actually ma'am, I came here to ask about Tsuzura."

"Oh Tsuzura. Right."

Mary watched Mrs. Hanatemari's face carefully, see if she will sob again (which Mary feared) or at least shed a tear but instead she just stiffened as if it was a topic she didn't want to talk about but Mary had no other choice.

"What would you want to know Mary? We already talked to the police lots of times."

"Oh no it's not that. I just wanted to know if Tsuzura had been acting weird before she…you know…" Mary hesitated to say the word almost like it was a curse or maybe it just hurts to say it and even more so to say it to Mrs. Hanatemari who did her best to retain her composure.

"Yes she had been acting weird. You see Tsuzura used to tell us everything. We were close you know."

Yes, Mary wanted to say. She knew that as a fact of which she was jealous of.

"And she always used to be so cheerful. When she became friends with you she always came home smiling."

Mary felt a pang in her chest that she did not expect.

"She was always talking about you and all the things you did and I'm glad she was finally enjoying school and most of all I'm glad she has a friend like you."

Mary blinked furiously not wanting to shed a tear in front of Mrs. Hanatemari and she fought down the swell that was starting to form in her throat. She looked towards the window where she can see a view of the garden and she couldn't help but imagine Tsuzura there inviting her out for tea but instead of their elementary school selves it was there present forms that was there. Damn, Mary wanted to scream. She didn't come here for a fucking sobfest.

Thankfully Mrs. Hanatemari continued on.

"So it really surprised me when she started acting…different. She no longer seemed happy. She was jumpy and elusive. Everytime I asked her about school she wouldn't meet my eye and she'd always change the topic. At first I thought you two must've had a fight but she was adamant that it wasn't the case."

Mary bristled at that. So Tsuzura didn't tell her mom?

"One night I decided to check on her and I got scared when she wasn't in her room. When I went down to the kitchen I caught her holding a knife. I had no idea what she was doing with it, or planning to do but she got scared, dropped the knife and ran back to her room. She refused to talk to me afterwards."

As if those words weren't enough to sting her, Mrs. Hanatemari continued.

"And that was the last night I've had with her."

The stuff with the knife made no sense to Mary. After all Tsuzura wasn't suicidal…was she?

But only one thing was clear to her and that was her need to get out of here. But first, the truth. Mrs. Hanatemari deserved it.

"Actually ma'am…Tsuzura and I did have a fight. Her sadness…it might be my fault."

 _But no…Tsuzura can't possibly kill herself just because of that…no, no, no…_

"I said some things I didn't mean…"

"Oh no Mary-chan I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do…why, when I was your age I had misunderstandings too with my friends—"

"No ma'am it wasn't as simple as that. I said some things. Mean, hurtful things despite knowing how sensitive she can be and I also…"

 _Come on Mary put this in Hanatemari's drink it will be sooo funny!_

 _Jeez it's just a bit of fun it's not like it's poison or anything!_

 _Gosh Mary you're such a goody two shoes no wonder you're friends with such a loser…_

"I…" Mary tore her gaze away from Mrs. Hanatemari, hanging her head in shame at what she had done and what she was about to confess: that she had put some drug in Hanatemari's drink after she was goaded by a bunch of schoolmates. She should've known better they were trying to pressure her and they did not care about her at all but she wanted to be accepted so much, hang out with people other than Tsuzura…

 _God how could I have been so stupid?_

Mary forced herself to look back up and just when she was about to say it, Mrs. Hanatemari spoke up.

"Oh right I forgot to tell you one thing."

Mary could not deny her relief at that moment but she was definitely not expecting what Mrs. Hanatemari was about to tell her, will never even see it coming.

"Tsuzura had a debt. She never said how much but that's when it all started, her strange behaviour. She gambled and she lost."

This time Mary did throw up but luckily she was out of the house before she could no longer hold it in. across from the Hanatemaris' sprawling villa Mary hid herself in that empty lot among the grass, puking her guts out. She felt hollow as she did so. Disgusted, even. But most of all, shocked.

Tsuzura had been gambling? Why hadn't she known of it? Or at least, heard?

Mary wiped the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand, feeling even more disgusted. As soon as the pounding of her heart had subsided she straightened herself and started walking away though a bit woozy and the afternoon sun didn't help much either.

As mary walked she couldn't fathom why on earth Tsuzura would gamble. Was she peer pressured? Too scared to tell Mary about it? but that was so unlike her. Tsuzura never expressed any interest in gambling, was afraid of it, even. And if she had been in debt then that means…

 _She was a pet. Until the day she went missing._

Mary's pace quickened, now more determined to get to the bottom of this. If she had been a pet she needed to know who it was that Tsuzura gambled against with and lost and she knew who kept records of that and can answer her questions but if they won't then Mary will simply have to force them and she'd move heaven and earth just for the truth.

She was going to talk to the student council.

* * *

Igarashi Sayaka was extremely bored and was finally glad that the match was over.

Sayaka jumped to hit the ball with her racket and it landed just before it tumbled out of bounds. Yumemi can only stare at it wistfully, complaining yet again how the ball was too fast.

Duh you silly idiot, Sayaka wanted to say as she rolled her shoulders back. It's fucking tennis.

"Ah you're so good at this Sayaka-chan!" Yumemi said as they walked off to the side of the court where they placed their water bottles. Sayaka only shrugged. She can tell that underneath that sweet trying-hard-to-be-cute exterior Yumemi was most likely glaring daggers at her.

They dropped their rackets as they reached for their drinks and just then Sayaka spotted a blonde figure looking at them from the second floor. Yumemi saw her too and they both pretended as if they haven't.

"Looks like you have a visitor." Yumemi said before tipping her head back for a drink.

"I can only guess what the hell she wants now." Sayaka replied sardonically.

"Well good luck with that Sayaka-chan. I need to head to the studio after this. Bye~!" and just like that Yumemi left her standing by herself in that courtyard to deal with the impending mess.

Sayaka watched Yumemi's tennis skirt swishing as the girl walked away and couldn't help but notice how her legs were growing fitter and fitter by day. Sayaka wondered if tennis was the only thing that made her legs this way but then again Yumemi never took any sport seriously. She just did all this exercise to maintain her slim figure.

Sayaka looked away just as Yumemi's ever so faithful bespectacled assistant appeared, greeting Yumemi with a fresh new towel. She sometimes wondered what on earth made that nerdy looking girl so loyal to Yumemi. Was she foolishly in love with her? But then again, who was she to call the girl foolish?

Sayaka looked back up just in time to meet Mary Saotome's gaze and Sayaka repressed another sigh from escaping her lips. Why the fuck does she always get left with the dirty business, she will never understand.

* * *

Mary chased after Sayaka down the corridor and tried her best not to let out any expletive no matter how much this ponytailed girl was seriously annoying her right now.

"Please!" Mary practically begged, forcing herself to go faster and keep up with Sayaka's strides. "I need to talk to the president!"

Finally they reached the student council office. She can tell Sayaka was really trying to be patient and it made Mary all the more want to push her buttons. Sayaka paused as she wrapped her hand around the doorknob, sparing Mary a sideways glance.

"The president is too busy to talk to just anyone right now Saotome-san. Any business you might want to discuss, you can tell me. Or if you really like you can schedule an appointment."

Mary felt like screaming at her. No, she doesn't want a fucking appointment this wasn't a goddamn doctor's clinic she wanted answers now!

"It's about the disappearance of my friend—"

"Yes we all know that." Sayaka's calm neutral tone made Mary want to strangle her. "And while we're terribly sorry this has happened, I can assure you that the police are working to solve this case and we are cooperating with them."

Oh really? Mary wanted to say back. Do you now? Because all Mary sees was their stupid asses playing tennis in the middle of the day and the president doing who knows what in that cozy air-conditioned office…

"I just want to know who on earth Tsuzura gambled with!" Mary cried out and this seemed to have finally caught Sayaka's attention.

"Her mother told me she had been in debt. I just want to know who it was. I know you guys keep records of that. You're allowed to say who it is aren't you?"

Sayaka let her shoulders drop, recognizing the threat in Mary Saotome's tone: that even if they are not allowed to say it, she will sneak in here and find out who it was and Sayaka would rather much do it the easier way.

"Yes we are allowed but that is not up for me to tell. You can talk to the president this Friday. I'll squeeze in a slot for you. Till then please don't bother any of us or there will be major consequences, miss scholarship student."

The words had struck her more than she'd like to admit. Damn Sayaka Igarashi and the stuck up student council, thinking they're so fucking important. Mary can only nod and clench her fists secretly as Sayaka entered the office without another glance.

Mary was left standing there feeling like a loser in that empty, silent hallway until she finally accepted the fact that there's nothing for her to do now but go to class and wait for Friday to come.


End file.
